Bill or envelop cabinet.



No. 628,896. Patented July n, I899.

F. SCHILZ.

BILL 0R ENVELOP CABINET.

(Application fllgd Nov. 27, 1897.)

2 Shank-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

I nvento.

Attorneys I, I WMM Wit No. 628,896. Patented July II, ll899. F. SGHILZ.

BILL 0B ENVELOP CABINET.

(Application filed Nov. 27, 1897.) M 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I I I I I I V \\\\\W% Inventor.

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Attor n e-yJ A'IENT F FICE.

FRANK SGHILZ, OF MILNVAUKEE, WVISCONSIN.

BILL OR ENVELOP CABINET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,896, dated July 11, 1899. Application filed November 2'7, 1897. Serial No. 659{997. iNo model.)

T0 at whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, FRANK SCHILZ, aeitizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bill or Envelop Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in bill and envelop cabinets.

The object of my invention is to provide a suitable cabinet and feed mechanism to be used in hotels and other public places for feeding envelops, letter-sheets, &c., and which may also be used for advertising purposes.

In the following description reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of myimpro'ved cabinet. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional View drawn on line a: 00 of Fig. 1, with the lower drawer and front portion of the base-plate broken away and the upper lid being shown as it appears when formed without the/advertising-receptacle. Fig. 3 is a detail side view of a modified form ofv the presser-plate. Fig. 4 is a sectional View drawn on line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a front view with the cover raised and front wall and lower portion of the cabinet removed. Fig. 6 is a detail View showing a modified form of the con" cavity at the front edge of the floor B in crosssection. 1

Like parts are identified by the same reference-letters throughout the several views.

My cabinet is provided with a chamber A, the floor B of which is preferably raised, with a lower chamber 0 between it and the baseplate D, which latter chamber may be either open or closed.

The front wall E of the chamberA is preferably angular in form, with its lower edge projecting sufficiently beyond the lower por tion of the cabinet to provide space for dis charge-slots F.

Within the chamber A, I have provided a skeleton framework G, which divides the chamber into compartments, three such con1- partments being shown in the drawings, those at the sides being used for envelope, while the central compartment is used for letter-sheets. In each compartment I have provided a discharge-roller H, located above and somewhat in the rear of the discharge-slot F. Each of from the frameG by means of arms K, the

latter having studs K engaging in notches g g in the frame G, so that the presser-plates I tend to swing forwardly toward the roller II upon the pivotally-supporting studs K.

In cases where it is desired that the presserplate I shall bear directly upon the paper, as it does in the central compartment, it is preferably curved or bent rearwardly at its lower end and surfaced with sandpaper or suitable material I, so that it will lift slightly upon the paper in pushing the same forwardly, as hereinafter explained.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a modification in which the lower end of the plate I is provided with a hinged section L, which can be ad justed at any desired angle to the balance of the plate by means of an adj listing-screw L, swiveled to a lug L, projecting rearwardly from the adjustable section L. The pack of envelops, letter sheets, or other paper is placed in the cabinet against the plates I, with the lower edges of the sheets in frictional contact with the floor B, andis pressed forwardly against the roller H by the plate I, as best shown in Fig. 2. When it is desired. to discharge the sheets, the roller 11 is actuated bya thumb or finger, and this motion is communicated to the roller H, which by its friction upon the front sheet of the pack draws the latter downwardly and discharges it through the slot F. The front sheet tends, under the pressure of the plate I and the resistance of the roller H along a line above its lower edge, to spring away from the pack, and thus facilitate its separation from the other sheets, which remain with their edges in frictional contact with the platform.

lVhen the sheets to be fed are thin, I prefor to provide the floor B with a concave surface b, adjacent to the slot F, which surface Iuu may be either raised, as shown in Fig. 2, or depressed, as shown in Fig. 6. The object of this concave surface is to insure the detention of the second sheet until the first sheet has been discharged. The first sheet will obviously spring farther away from the pack than the second sheet and under the friction of the roller H will escape overthe concavity, while the edge of the second sheet will remain at right angles to some portion thereof and be detained thereby. The floor B is preferably covered by a smooth-surfaced adjustable metal plate I) and the rear portion slotted at b for the reception of an adjusting-screw b. The plate is adjusted backwardly for thick paper and forwardly for thin paper.

Where the paper consists of short thick sheets-such as envelops, circulars, &c.-I prefer to use a feed slide or carriage M, interposed between the sheets and the presserplate of frame I. In such case the latter may be merely an open frame, the upper portion of which is shown in the side compartments in Fig. 5. When inserting the sheets in this compartment, they are placed against the inclined face m of the slide M and the latter is pushed backwardly until the hook J of the weight J is engaged by the weighted catch N in the upper rear portion of the cabinet. The pack of paper can then be inserted and the sheets straightened upon the surface in of the slide M, and when in the proper position the catch N is released from the hook J to permit the presser-frame to push them forwardly against the feed-roller. In the central compartment, where the feed slide or carriage M is not used, the presser-plate is pivoted in the fore part of the frame G, and the weighted catch N is also omitted in the construction shown. The principal object of the. catch is to hold the presser-plate while the paper is being adjusted against the slide in the recess (1 underneath the glass surface 61.

The lid 0 of my cabinet, which is hinged at O. and raised to permit the insertion of the paper, is provided with a glass P, covering a recess Q, access to which is had by means of a hinged door R on the under side of the cover to insert or remove the advertising-cards. The door R of the lid and section D of the base may be secured-in their normal position by any suitable fastening R or look.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A bill and envelop cabinet havingin combination with the inclosing walls provided with a discharge-slot, a floor having one edge thereof in proximity to the slot, a feed-roller located in proximity to the slot, a frame resting upon said tloorwith upwardly-projecting sides adapted to form bearings for a swinging presserplate, a presser-plate having arms pivotally su pported in said frame and adapted to permit the plate to swing forward toward the feed-roller, substantially as described.

2. A bill and envelop cabinet havingin com bination with the inclosing walls provided with a discharge-slot, a floor having one edge thereof in proximity to said slot, a feed-roller located in proximityto the slot, a frame resting upon said floor with upwardly-projecting sides adapted to form bearings for a swingingpresser-plate, a presser-plate having arms pivotally supported in said frame and adapted to permit the plate to swing forwardly toward the feed-roller, the lower end of said, plate being bent rearwardly, substantially as described.

3. A bill and envelop cabinet having in combination with the inclosing walls provided with a discharge-slot, afioor having one edge thereof in proximity to said slot, a feed-roller located in proximity to the slot, a frame resting upon the floor with upwardly-projecting sides adapted to form bearings for a swinging presser-plate, a presserplate having arms pivotally supported in said frame and adapted to permit the plate to swing forwardly toward the feed-roller, the lower end of said plate being bent rearwardly and surfaced with frictional material, substantially as described.

4. Abill or envelop cabinet having in combination with the inclosing walls provided with a discharge-slot, a floor having one edge thereof in proximity to said slot, a feed-roller located in proximity to said slot, a frame resting upon said floor with upwardly-projecting sides adapted to form bearings for a swinging presser-plate, a presser-plate having arms pivotally supported in said frame and adapted to permit the plate to swing forwardly toward the feed-roller, the lower end of said plate being hinged to the body portion and provided with means for adjusting the same atvarious angles, substantially as described.

5. A bill or envelop cabinet having in combination with the inclosing walls provided with a discharge-slot, a floor having one edge thereof in proximity to said slot, a feed-roller located in proximity to the slot, a frame resting upon said floor with upwardly-projecting sides adapted to form bearings for a swinging presser-plate,'a presser-plate having arms pivotally supported in said frame and adapted to permit the plate to swingforwardly toward,

the feed-roller, a movable section secured to the lower end of said plate and an adjustingscrew secured in a bearing on the rear surface of the plate, and swiveled to a rearwardlyprojecting lug on the rear surface of the 1novable section, substantially as described.

6. A bill and envelop cabinet having in combination with the inclosing walls provided with a discharge-slot, a floor having one edge thereof in proximity to the slot, a feed-roller located in proximity to the slot, a frame-resting upon said floor with upwardly-projecting sides adapted to form bearings for a swinging presser-plate, a presser-plate having arms pivotally supported in said frame and adapted to permit the plate to swing forwardly toward the feed-roller, and a carriage or slide interposed between the presser-plate and roller, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a paper-supporting floor provided with a concave surface at one edge thereof, a feed-roller located above said edge and adjacent thereto, and a pressing device adapted to engage sheets of paper between it and the roller, with their lower ends supported on the floor in a position to be fed over said concave surface by the feedroller, substantially as described.

8. A bill and envelop cabinet having in combination with the inclosing walls provided with a discharge-slot, a floor having one edge thereof in proximity to the slot, a frame located upon said floor with upwardly-projecting skeleton partitions adapted to divide the chamber into a plurality of compartments, a feed-roller located in each compartment in proximity to the discharge-slot, and a swinging presser-plate suspended from the frame in each compartment, said plate being weighted in the rear portion thereof, and adapted to support sheets of paper on edge upon the floor and to press them forwardly against the roller,

substantially as described. A

9. Abill and envelop cabinethavingin combination with the inclosing Walls provided with a discharge-slot, a floor having one edge thereof in proximity to the slot, a frame located upon said floor with upwardly-projecting skeleton partitions adapted to divide the chamber into a plurality of compartments, a feed-roller located in each compartment in proximity to the discharge-slot, a swinging Presser-plate suspended from the frame in each compartment and a weighted catch adapted to automatically engage with and hold said plate when it is swung to its extreme rearward position, substantially as described.

10. The combination of a cabinet provided with a discharge-slot in its lower end, an adjustable smooth-surfaced metal plate covering the lower end of said cabinet, and provided with a raised concave surface adjacent to the discharge-slot, a friction-roller located above said slot and the concave surface, and a press ing device adapted to engage sheets of paper between it and the roller, with their edges in contact with said metal plate, and said concave surface interposed between the paper and the discharge-slot, substantially as de scribed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK SOHILZ. Witnesses:

Ms. B. ERWIN, L. 0. WHEELER. 

